[Jewish] Organization list

[dmd02 at hampshire.edu]

Hello again!

Ok, I know I promised a list of 4 or 5 places, but I went to 
www.valleyviewpoint.org and found a huge, comprehensive list of volunteer 
opportunities in the Valley.  Take a look at it and let me know what appeals to 
you.  Besides a listing of every place, this list also gives a general idea of 
what types of services are offered and what types of organizations exist.  Over 
the weekend I'll try to organize this into categories. 

Thanks!

<3 Diana

PS Don't forget about the Tzedakah box tonight!

Don't Just Sit There
Volunteer Opportunities in the Pioneer Valley 

Amherst Family Center: Provide childcare and activities for children birth 
through age 5 at the drop-in center located in the North Congregational Church 
Parish Hall in North Amherst, Tuesday through Thursday mornings. (413) 549-4969

Amherst Survival Center — Volunteers are needed Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and 
Friday during the day to cook and/or help out in the kitchen; sort through 
clothing donations; help keep the store tidy; drive to pick up food and other 
donations; input data; and serve on the finance and investment committees. 
Volunteers are also needed for the Trash to Treasures recycled furniture sale 
on May 26th. Call Charlie at 413-549-3968, ext. 205, for more information or to 
schedule a volunteer orientation. 

Big Brothers/Big Sisters: Seeking help for children in the area. (413) 253-2591

Chicopee Visiting Nurse Association: Participate in Companion, Alzheimer's and 
Palliative Care weekly in-home programs; assist with registration at health 
fairs and clinics; provide transportation. Call Marilyn Duval, (413) 533-6733

Community Outreach Team: Assist people with serious mental illnesses to live 
fulfilling lives in their community. Opportunities include assisting with the 
Massachusetts Anti-Stigma Campaign or providing activities for group 
participants. (413) 536-8588, ext. 34

Connecticut River Watershed Council: Seeking volunteers to do general office 
work, mail preparation, filing, data entry and reception duties in friendly 
atmosphere in Easthampton. (413) 529-9500

Cooley Dickinson Hospital: Work in all areas of main hospital. Many shifts 
available. No previous volunteer experience needed. Call Phyllis Maggiolino, 
(413) 582-2251.

COVE: Be trained to facilitate bi-weekly groups of grieving children and teens 
meeting at the Northampton YMCA. (413) 584-3796

Dakin Animal Shelter: Help with shelter cleaning, dog walking, feeding and 
overall TLC at the Leverett center, especially on Sunday and Monday mornings. 
Afternoon help is also needed Tuesday through Saturday. (413) 548-9898

Everywoman's Center: Peer counselors needed to provide free and confidential 
support services for survivors of sexual assault and battering. 
Counselor/Advocates staff a 24-hour hotline, provide short-term counseling and 
legal/medical advocacy. (413) 545-0883

First Call For Help: This information and referral agency, in the Jones Library 
in Amherst, serves as a link between people who need help and the service 
agencies in Hampshire County. Assist with phone inquiries, help update 
database, provide clerical help and work on special projects. Training is 
provided. Call Karen, (413) 256-0121

Food Bank of Western Massachusetts has many ongoing volunteer needs, including:

Fresh Food Project: Volunteer drivers are needed to pick up prepared and 
perishable food from restaurants, institutional dining services, grocery 
stores, and farms throughout western Massachusetts.

Special Events: Help us plan or carry out fundraising events; Staff a Food Bank 
table at a festival; Help sell our holiday cards. Individuals and groups are 
welcome!

Brown Bag: Volunteers are needed in several communities to help with Brown Bag, 
which provides low-income elders with a monthly bag of groceries; Volunteers 
help one weekday morning a month to unload the truck, bag the food, and/or 
deliver bags to homebound seniors.

Food Bank Farm: For those looking to get close to the earth, The Food Bank Farm 
has volunteer opportunities from May through November; Weekday and weekend 
shifts are available. Groups are welcome. To learn more, please call the farm 
at 413 582-0013 or send e-mail csaworks at aol.com

Office: Volunteers are always needed in the office to help with mailings, phone 
calls, computer projects and the other behind-the-scenes work that keeps the 
organization on track.

Salvage Room: "Salvage" is food that that is perfectly good to eat but can’t be 
sold, often because the can or box is dented. Stop & Shop and other grocery 
store chains donate more than a million pounds of salvage to The Food Bank each 
year. All of it must be inspected and sorted in our warehouse. Weekday and 
Tuesday evening shifts are available.

To give your time in the effort to end hunger in our region, please call the 
Volunteer Coordinator at 413-247-9738 or email volunteer at foodbankwma.org

Franklin County Home Care Corporation

For information on how to volunteer for Franklin County Home Care corporation, 
call 413-773-5555 and ask for the contact person listed below. Most of these 
programs provide training and mileage reimbursement. Volunteer opportunities 
are available in these areas:

Money Management - Help elders who need assistance with writing checks, 
balancing their checkbooks, sorting bills, etc. Flexible hours. Contact 
Lorraine York.

Nursing Home Ombudsman - Advocate for residents rights and help them resolve 
problems they have with their care. Contact Rachel Lively (x241).

Senior Companion - Visit frail, isolated elders. Take them shopping, to MD 
appointments, be a friend. Contact Rachel Lively (x241).

Nutrition Program Aides & Drivers - Help serve meals to elders in

local senior centers, Drive Meals-on-Wheels. Contact Richard Nault (x271).

Fundraiser - Assist with fundraising events such as a Walk-a-Thon. Some phone 
calling and clerical work. Contact Cindy Martowski (x278)

Board members - Advise area agency on aging about policy issues. Contact James 
Ewen (x270).

Fresh Air Fund — Make summer special for an inner-city child by volunteering to 
host for the Fresh Air Fund. Hosts are young families, single professionals, 
empty nesters and grandparents — all of whom want to share the simple pleasures 
of suburban or country life with an inner-city child. for more information, 
call 413-562-6225 or visit www.freshair.org. 

Habitat for Humanity: Skilled and unskilled volunteers needed in all phases of 
construction to work in partnership with lower income families to build and 
rehabilitate simple decent homes. Volunteers also needed for committee work 
which makes building possible (selecting and nurturing families; organizing 
volunteers). (413) 586-5430

Hampshire County VNA: Provide support or respite for Alzheimer's Disease 
patients or their caretakers in their homes. Call Kathy Ramsey, (413) 586-3886

Highland Valley Elder Services Money Management Program: Assist low-income 
elders with their monthly financial matters for six to eight hours a month for 
a one-year period. Screening and training by staff. Call Joyce Schaubert at 
(413) 586-2000

Hilltown CDC: Help improve the quality of life in the hilltowns byaddressing 
the economic, environmental and social needs while preserving the rural 
integrity of the area. Serve on the Board of Directors, do routine office work 
and help out with special events. One time or regular office hours. Call Sherry 
Loomis (413) 296-5436

The Hitchcock Center: Community based environmental education and nature center 
located at the Larch Hill Conservation area in Amherst seeks reception/clerical 
assistance, library/reference assistance, physical maintenance and photography. 
Call Tom Alworth, (413) 256-6006

Holyoke Tutor/Mentor Program: Learn more about the community in which we live. 
Help people who are already taking steps to improve their command of the 
English language to achieve their educational goals. Be a tutor/mentor for an 
adult learner in Holyoke. No experience necessary. Full training and support 
provided. Call Tzivia Gover (413) 534-3376 or e-mail holyoketutor at hotmail.com

Hospice Life Care: Help provide quality support services to patients and 
families facing terminal illness, including visiting, reading and providing 
respite for family members. Supervision and ongoing training provided. Call 
Jane at (413) 533-3923, ext. 272

Jessie's House: Short-term emergency center providing housing, meals and 
advocacy to homeless people in Hampshire County needs volunteers. Training and 
supervision provided. Call NancyGonzalez, (413) 586-8212

Literacy Project: Classroom assistants needed to tutor in literacy, math, 
computers and GED classes in an adult-based education center. Volunteers attend 
a 15-hour training session. Call Margaret Anderson for information about next 
scheduled session — (413) 774-3934

Mass. Audubon at Hampshire Sanctuaries: Nature Center needs hosts to greet the 
public, answer telephones and do other light office work approximately twice a 
month on Saturdays at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton. (413) 584-3009

Mass. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children: Volunteers needed to 
do office work; to participate in on-site childcare; for special projects 
throughout the year; to participate in the Children's Champion Network, a 
statewide education and advocacy program; to help with fund raising, advocacy 
and program support. Also, materials needed, including new car seats, 
especially toddler-sized; arts and crafts supplies and playground equipment. 
Call Pam Meadows at (413) 734-4978

Northampton VNA Hospice Alliance: Looking for volunteers to work with 
terminally ill patients doing direct-care visits, supporting families by doing 
errands or transporting loved ones to medical appointments, sitting with 
patients in the nursing home or at home. Call Reenie Humpage at (413) 586-3886

Northampton Community Music Center: Seeking creative volunteers for flyer 
design and distribution, outreach coordination and general office work .(413) 
585-0001

Northampton Survival Center: Pick up food and deliver it to the center. Also 
seeking Board of Directors members. (413) 586-6564

Parents Helping Parents: Seeking volunteer childcare providers and volunteers 
to lead support groups to help prevent child abuse. Training and support are 
provided. Call Maurine Albano (413) 731-5051

River Valley AIDS Project: Various opportunities including bilingual 
translator/interpreter, child/adult companions, drivers, resource library 
assistants, office support assistants, donations coordinator, 
education/outreach volunteers. Offices in Holyoke and Springfield. Call Cynthia 
Griffin (413) 737-2437

Tapestry Health: The Breast Health Project seeks volunteers willing to be 
trained as community health educators and provide outreach to women about 
breast and cervical cancer. (800) 696-7752, ext. 121

VA Medical Center: Volunteers needed for patient care areas. Volunteers will 
interact with veterans in the medical center units. Also needed, volunteers for 
to work in administration area and to be front lobby ambassadors. Call Peter 
Galante at (413) 582-3042

Veterans Community Care Center: Drivers needed to transport ambulatory 
veterans. Van provided. Call Lillian Struckus (413) 582-3079

WestMass Elder Care: Transport frail elders to medical appointments once or 
twice a month in Springfield and surrounding communities. Travel allowance and 
small stipend available. Call Neil Katz at (413) 538-9020

Womanshelter/Campaneras: Help families begin to live lives free of violence. 
Call Peggy Cichon at (413) 538-9717

YWCA: Work one-on-one on a weekly basis as a counselor or support person for a 
young mother or adolescent, providing emotional support, advocacy and informal 
counseling. Training sessions and weekly supervision/support group meetings. 
(413) 586-6807

YWCA Transitional Living Program: The Northampton branch seeks volunteers 
interested in designing and implementing creative programming for children 
whose lives have been impacted by domestic violence. Internships available. Two 
to four hours per week. (413) 586-6807

YWCA Visitation Center: Volunteers needed to operate the center and assist with 
monitoring court-ordered parent-child visitations in a safe and secure 
environment. No experience necessary; will provide full training and 
supervision. Call Brenda Douglas, 747-8417